Felix Engelhardt wins German road race title with late descent charge to earn debut Tour de France jersey
Felix Engelhardt overcame cramps and a late-race deficit on the final climb to sprint to victory at the German National Road Championships in Bad Liebenstein, earning the right to wear the champion's jersey at his first Tour de France.
Surprise winner emerges from the heat
Felix Engelhardt delivered a stunning comeback at the German National Road Championships, storming back from a dropped position on the last climb to win a five-up sprint in Bad Liebenstein. The 25-year-old Jayco-AlUla rider covered 191.1 kilometres and almost 4000 metres of elevation gain in temperatures exceeding 35 degrees, describing the effort as a brutal test of endurance. His victory came just two days after he was nominated for his maiden Tour de France, adding a national champion's jersey to his debut ride.
How the race unfolded
The seven-lap circuit in the Thuringian Forest produced a war of attrition in the heat. Favourite Nils Politt, who had already won the time-trial title, was part of a move that distanced Engelhardt on the final ascent. 'I had been fighting cramps and got dropped,' Engelhardt said, recalling the moment his chances appeared to slip away. But he gambled on the descent, taking maximum risks to latch back onto the lead group of five, then held on to produce the winning sprint.
That is an unbelievable feeling. Everyone dreams of this. There is nothing better than riding in the champion's jersey, especially when you are heading to the Tour. It is something really special.
Podium and favorites falter
Lennart Jasch of Tudor took second, with Nico Denz of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe finishing third. Politt, who launched his sprint too early on the finishing straight, faded to fourth, missing out on a double national title. Defending champion Georg Zimmermann placed fifth. Top star Florian Lipowitz skipped the race to continue altitude training for the Tour.
Tour de France context
The German champion's jersey will now appear at the Grande Boucle, which starts on Saturday in Barcelona. Engelhardt's late-race rally and sprint prowess give his Jayco-AlUla team a morale boost ahead of cycling's biggest stage. Meanwhile, Franziska Koch clinched her third consecutive women's road race title on Saturday, adding to her time-trial win from Friday.
- Felix Engelhardt nominated for his first Tour de France
- Franziska Koch wins third straight women's road race title, adds to time-trial gold
- Engelhardt claims men's road race title in Bad Liebenstein
- Tour de France begins in Barcelona
Quotes and conditions
Engelhardt questioned the length of the race in extreme heat. 'You have to ask yourself whether you really have to ride that long in this heat. It's not healthy. You could see how many people were left – it was very selective,' he said. Politt was more measured: 'We trained a lot in the heat, the Tour de Suisse was also warm. The body gets used to it. We manage it.' The race saw no major incidents despite the conditions.
